Amazing Grace
by Keeper of Tomes
Summary: Aerrow is dealt a life changing injury, and he's faced with a decision: Will he allow himself to sink into darkness...or will he somehow find grace and light in his situation?
1. Chapter 1

**Into Darkness**

_Amazing grace, how sweet..._

I'm not a religious kind of guy.

If you asked me if I believed in heaven, or God, I'd say yes, I do. I do believe there's a higher order that somehow establishes balance in our lives.

But I don't let it bother me, or consume me. I don't read any religious texts, or pray.

Well...maybe a quick murmur before battle.

But that's pretty much it. I just don't give it much thought, is all.

So when the alarms went off today, God and heaven were the last things on my mind. I was thinking about how it was another day of whipping Dark Ace's butt back to Cyclonia. And when we took off, the only thing I was thinking about was where Piper would scale one the Anger-o-Meter if we messed her plan up THIS time.

The sky was a light shade of forget-me-not-blue, and it would have been perfect, had it not been for the red blotches in the distance. Talon skimmers.

I pulled out my blades, fingers wrapped tightly around the worn handles.

And my tongue pressed against my clenched teeth to form those familiar words, words I'd said so many times before, it was almost like a mantra.

"Storm Hawks, prepare for battle!"

The roar of skimmer engines filled my ears, and I hit the accelerator. The Talons swarmed at us, thick as fleas around a mangy dog.

Somewhere in the middle, we clashed.

Things started out normal enough. We had gotten wind of some suspicious activity in the Southwest, but we most certainly weren't expecting the Dark Ace, of all people, to be here. I mean, what do the Cyclonians want with a few tropical terras? They're small, flat, and have no cloud cover. None of us, not even Piper, could fathom what the Cyclonians were here for.

I shook the thought away. Fight now, ask questions later.

Dark Ace's Switchblade swooped around overhead, taunting me, teasing me. I gritted my teeth, muttered something about pacing myself, and held back. The Condor was sending blue streak after blue streak towards the enemy crafts, and for now, we were still on the defensive. Going after him at that particular moment wouldn't do anything for anyone.

But he was asking for it.

He went for Piper.

Of all people!

Forget about holding back.

I put the pedal to the metal and flew after him, Radarr screaming in my ear. If he had been human, I wouldn't have been surprised to hear several nasty cuss words coming out of his mouth in reaction to my impulsive decisions. It wouldn't have made much difference, really. It's not like I listened to him much of the time.

I was just about to get the drop on him, when he veered away. Piper was fine. But I most certainly wasn't.

He got my engine with one blast. My skimmer was torn to shreds.

I was falling.

The wind whistled in my ears, and I found myself praying, of all things.

My wings clicked open. Radarr was floating easily, a few feet above me, parachute catching the wind and buffeting out on top of him. I glided through the air, the tug on my back both annoying and comforting all at once.

Annoying because...

Because I don't think anyone in their right mind likes the sensation of having one's spine being ripped out.

I managed to calm down. I was looking for somewhere to land. I found it, quite easily.

A low terra.

My wings caught the breeze, and I was flying towards it, when a shadow passed over me. A giant ball of red sizzled through the air, and before I knew exactly what had happened, my wing caught fire, and I was twisting, turning, hurtling towards earth.

My last thought, before the darkness came, was, "Damn it, not again."

And then, I met the fury of gravity face to face, and hurled into the ground.

Darkness was next.

Blessed, blessed, darkness.

OOO

My muscles refused to obey. My eyes didn't even want to open.

I lay on the bed, my mind thundering, screaming, shouting, at my arms and legs to do SOMETHING. Anything. Anything to let myself know that I was still alive.

There were bandages, lots of bandages, and there were blankets. I figured that much out by myself. The gauzes itched, something that infuriated me to no end.

Where was I?

The familiar song of the Condor's engines sang in my ears. And I knew I was home. But there were other problems to attend to.

The sheets were stifling, and I was hot. Sweat rolled in large beads down my face, and a strange, musty, smell drifted to my nostrils. The smell of blood, sweat, and good, clean, dirt. My mouth tasted sour, and some unknown substance was lathered onto my shoulder. No doubt one of Stork's "miracle medicines".

Finally, I managed to twitch my finger.

And a sweet, pleasant, sound met my ears. My head throbbed at the volume, but I was overjoyed to hear it nonetheless.

"Oh, you're awake!"

Piper.

Her hand slipped into mine and gripped it, warmth spreading up and down my arms. My tongue was still limp, so I satisfied myself with laying still, focusing on breathing, and enjoying her touch. Because it made me feel safe.

I begged my eyes to open, but they didn't comply. So I lay in the darkness, knowing it must be late, and she would be tired.

I don't remember how much time passed, but it must have been a while, because her grip slackened. I tried to move my mouth again, and this time, miraculously, it followed my orders.

"What happened?" My voice sounded dry and brittle, and my lungs threatened to collapse entirely.

"Well..." I could tell her voice was hesitant. Too hesitant.

"Piper, you tell me, or..." I didn't finish the sentence, and I didn't need to, either. I was still straining to see, my eyelids still glued shut, as if they had been taped.

"You sorta fell. Onto the terra. And Dark Ace landed, and he was about to...kill you." She was silent for a few moments. "Then a skimmer exploded, overhead, and there was shrapnel. Lots and lots of shrapnel. You were cut up pretty badly. You...We didn't know if...if you'd make it. You're lucky to be alive right now..." she said, her voice trembling. I could feel her hands grow slick and sweaty.

"I'll be fine, I promise." I tried to sound comforting, and I must have succeeded, because I felt her smile.

My eyelids finally fluttered open.

What the...

"Piper, can you turn on the lights?"

"They're on." She sounded like she was playing, toying with me.

"Ha ha, real funny. Turn on the lights, Piper."

"Aerrow, I'm not joking, they're on." This time, she didn't sound so funny anymore.

"What do you mean, 'They're on'? How come it's dark? Piper, where are you?" I looked around. All I saw was darkness. Black.

"I'm right here." I felt her face hanging over mine. I smelled her breath. But why couldn't I see...?

My hand snaked up and fingered her hair, her nose, her mouth. She felt warm.

And I realized...

I realized this was bad.

"Piper, I can't see."

"Aerrow, if you're joking-"

"I can't see. Piper, I...I..."

But my mouth froze up again. My mind refused to work. All I heard was silence. Maybe she was talking, maybe she wasn't. It didn't matter. What mattered was that I was unable to SEE. My eyesight.

My eyesight.

I'm blind.

I'm a cripple.

I can't walk.

I can't fight.

I can't _fly._

The final thought hit me like a cannon ball.

What did I do to deserve this?

God in heaven, what did I DO?

OOO

Thanks to Ambrel for Beta-ing this. It couldn't have been possible without you, my friend.

Happy Memorial Day, people!


	2. Chapter 2

**Song of the Condor  
**

_...the sound, that saved..._

There was a lot of silence on Piper's end of the conversation, after I announced my latest predicament.

A lot of silence on my end, too.

We sat, or in my case, lay there, for a long time, talking without actually talking. Finally, one of her thoughts came to fruition, and a few words slipped out.

"We have to tell the others."

I moaned.

Exactly what I didn't want to hear.

"They don't need to know yet..." I look for her, but the darkness is all the same. I can't even tell where the window is. I can't see the sky. I'll never see another sunset again.

"I'm right here."

I turn towards her voice. She sounds extremely strained. Telling the others...is not a good idea. I just have a bad feeling about their reactions. Stork will probably want to quarantine me. Junko and Finn will freak. And Radarr? Well, I'm not too sure how Radarr's going to take this.

There's a faint scratching sound, like chalk on blackboards, but a little softer.

"You have a visitor," Piper says. I know who it is.

"Hey, buddy. You made it."

"Cree!" He gives a little chirp and climbs onto the bed. I feel the springs coil as he lands. His fur tickles my skin. He smells like sweat and bananas. All of my OTHER senses are pulling in an image of him. But nothing beats...actually seeing.

"Radarr...Aerrow has something to tell you. Don't you, Aerrow?"

I can tell she's giving me "The Stare". I sigh.

"Not yet, Piper. Not...now."

She's quiet. Too quiet. I reach out, but my hand finds only air. She...she left me!

I sit up. The sudden motion sends me reeling, and my hand flies to my head. Radarr's weight leaves my bed. He's gone too.

How dare she! That girl can be so DAMN infuriating.

I hear voices in the distance. She's telling them. Oh, no. I get up. The sheets fall to the ground. It hurts to walk, but I've got to stop her. I don't need the others worrying, or doing anything stupid. What I'd give for a pain killer right now...

I stumble into a wall.

Just what I need.

I can't...I don't...

Where am I?

The floor is awfully cold. And the world is awfully dark.

Wait.

Vibrations.

Damn it, someone's coming. I haul myself up, leaning against the wall for support. Pain shoots in little bursts through my limbs, like poison.

"Aerrow!"

It's Finn. I turn towards the direction of his voice, trying to make him out. I...I'll never see his face again.

"Aerrow-"

"She told you everything, didn't she?"

"Yup." I can feel the awkwardness. "Don't blame her, man. Look, things will be FINE, just sit down and relax-"

"How am I supposed to relax? Guys, I can't fight, I can't FLY, I can't...I can't even get around the damn ship!" I'm close to tears.

"Dude, it's just an arm. Take a chill pill."

"What?" I look around, staring into the eternal night. "You mean..."

"What else is there?"

"Piper?"

"What?" She sounds innocent. I glare in her direction.

"You didn't...tell them?"

"Tell us what?" Finn's drawing closer. "Man, what is it?"

"I..." I have to tell them sooner or later. Can't go on pretending. "I can't see, Finn. I guess the shrapnel must've done something, but...yeah." I trail off, because Finn's dead silent. Unusual for Finn.

"Does this mean we get a dog?" he asks at last.

"FINN!" Piper shrieks. I hear a thump.

"YEOW! Hey, I'm just trying to look on the bright side of things, 'kay?"

"There IS no bright side to this," I mutter. Everyone's quiet again.

"The others...Stork, Junko..." Piper puts a hand on my shoulder. I jump.

"They...should be told." She guides me towards the helm.

I listen to the ship hum.

OOO

"HE'S WHAT?!"

"Stork, calm down. It's not contagious. I promise." I'm sitting at the table, trying to explain, trying to figure out where to go from here.

"I'm not worried about if it's contagious or not, I'm worried about YOU!"

Well, that's a first...

"Stork, I'll be fine. I'll go home."

"Home? Aerrow, this IS your home." Someone sits down; who, I'm not sure.

Junko hasn't said a word, so far. I look around for him. "Junko, big guy? You OK?"

A whimper drifts over from the corner. "Don't leave, Aerrow."

I sigh. How can I say this? Staying here won't do anyone any good. I'm a burden. Who needs a blind Sky Knight? Excuse me, my mistake. Who needs a blind EX-Sky Knight. I have to tell the council. Honorable discharge and all that junk.

"Well, until we get to Atmosia, you'll need help getting around the ship." Piper, always coming up with a plan. "We can adjust, Aerrow. YOU can adjust."

"What's the point?"

"Oh, well, excuse me for not giving up before the game's already started. You're dead in the water, Aerrow. You're not even trying." She walks over; I can hear her light footsteps. "You have to give it a shot. For you. For...the team."

I stare at her. At least, I stare in her general direction. And I nod, very slowly, very deliberately. "I'll try."

"Good." Her voice is tart, as it always is when we're getting down to business. I can feel everyone smiling.

_Take one for the team, Aerrow. Try. Make them happy. Who knows, this just might work!_

The hell it will.

But I stand, and I let Piper guide me out of the helm. "Where are we going?"

"I'm going to try something." She presses me against the wall, her hand keeping me from moving.

"HEY!" I try to break free. "What the...?"

"Shh. Listen..."

I can hear the ship, working. A buzz. A hiss. A gear, turning. Oil dripping. A million noises, a million things that keep our home afloat. It's quite amazing, if you think about it enough. I smile, and I think she was smiling, too.

"Now come on." She leads me away, to a different section of wall. She presses me against it again. And I listen.

It sounds different.

Call me crazy, but it does.

We must be closer to the boilers, because I can hear bubbling and hissing. Less gears. Something's trickling through the walls...Water. The pipes.

"I...It's amazing."

"Every section should sound a little different. We're right outside the boiler room right now. You can figure out where you are based on what the walls sound like, I guess."

"You're a genius, Piper."

"I try."

I keep on listening. I realize that the ship...

It's singing.

OOO

Well...

That was not too bad, if I do say so myself. I rather liked this chapter.

REVIEW! WHEEE!!

Sorry. Sugar. My bad.


	3. Chapter 3

**Leave Me**

_...a wretch, like me..._

I couldn't sleep, that night.

Dinner had been damn near impossible, seeing as I couldn't...see.

I had no idea what I was eating. And I had no idea where the fork was. Something so simple, something I had taken for granted, all these years, had become a hurdle I was tripping over again and again.

And then I found my way back to my room, listening to the hum. I could remember already how the walls of my quarters sounded: a quiet buzz, like a muffled bee, accompanied with the light ticking of the clock inside. I hadn't had the time to figure any other places out, yet.

But when I slipped back into bed, the remaining bandages chaffing against my skin, I realized how dark it really was.

And I was scared.

Really.

Because now, I couldn't just flick a light on. I couldn't just open my eyes, because, whether they were closed or not, it would still be night. I would live in perpetual darkness, never seeing the stars, or the moon, or the sun.

I'd never see the faces of my friends again.

So, for the first time in my relatively short life, I lay on my bed, and said a silent prayer to whatever is up there.

I asked him to change me back.

I begged for forgiveness.

OOO

I was woken by a loud BOOM.

The ship shook with the blow, metal beams creaking, and my eyes popped open. I automatically reached up and grabbed my blades. And then I remembered that I was pretty much useless, if this was a fight.

A few more blasts, and I jumped out of bed, blades still in my hands, sweat trickling down my face.

"AERROW!" It's Finn. He's banging in the door. "You there?"

"I'm here," I answer, setting the blades down. "I'm...I'm fine."

"Man, you stay there, OK?"

"No, that's not OK! Finn, come back!" I run to the door. There's a faint click.

Oh, no he did not!

I try the handle.

Yes...he did.

It's locked.

"DAMN YOU, FINN!" I crawl around, looking for the blades I had dropped earlier. My fingers find something hard and cold. I press the trigger. A light squeal of sorts emits from the weapon, and I can feel the heat radiating out. I find the doorknob again, and I press the blade to it.

There's a moment of tense silence.

The door clicks open, molten metal sliding down the frame and onto the floor. I make my way out, the ship swerving wildly. I slide down the hall, the world spinning in darkness. My blade fizzes out; I hear the pop.

My body slams into the wall opposite, and I swear, something cracked. I stood, legs wobbling like they had just run twenty miles.

Someone comes running.

"Aerrow, I told you to STAY!"

"I am NOT a dog..." I mutter.

Finn walks over and grabs me by the arm. "Go back to your room."

"Stop treating me like a cripple," I bark.

He falters.

"Aerrow, you...It's too dangerous."

"Who is it?"

He's silent.

"Who. Is. _It._"

He mumbles some incoherent phrase. I punch at him, and miraculously, my fist finds its mark. He shrinks back with a bark, not unlike a small dog. I smirk.

"Dark Ace, it's the Dark Ace, OK?"

"No, it's not OK. I'm going to go get him."

"Ho, ho, NO you're not. You've obviously forgotten one _rather _important fact...You're blind." Finn pushes me into a room; I'm not sure whose it is. "Stay there."

The door slams shut. It's locked, and this time, I have no weapons.

I can only listen to the blows...and wait for it to end.

OOO

The door creaks open.

I open one eye, forgetting for a few moments that it's a fruitless movement.

"Aerrow?"

The voice is chocked.

"Finn? Man, what is it?"

"We...we got away..."

"What happened?"

I stand. He walks over; I hear his footsteps. And he leans against me, water seeping into my shirt.

"She's gone..." he whispers.

I pause for a moment.

_She's gone..._

Piper.

Please, no.

Please, please, please, please, PLEASE, no.

My legs give out again.

Finn and I...we fall onto the floor sobbing.

What else can we do?

It's over.

OOO

She's so cold. That's the only thing racing through my mind, when Finn shows me the body. I can't see her face...so I imagine she left this world with a smile. I hold her in my arms, and I find her hands, clutching them, wishing it wasn't true, trying to wake up from what must be a horrible nightmare.

But it isn't. I feel around and find her face, that beautiful, innocent face, and I bend over.

I kiss her cold, lifeless lips.

She's frail, and I set her down, ever so gently, as if she's made of glass.

Maybe...If I had been fighting...If I hadn't been in the dark...

I'm useless.

I'm not even a human.

Humans can see, and humans can walk, and humans can fight for their families.

Oh, what a wretched thing is a man...who has lost his way in the dark...and has no light to guide him home.

I'm not fit to be a Sky Knight.

It's my fault she's gone.

It's my fault this angel went back to heaven...

The others...They draw nearer, and someone places a sweaty hand on my shoulder. I swat it away.

"Leave me be."

And their footsteps echo into the distance.


	4. Chapter 4

**Stumbling Stars**

_...I once was lost..._

I knew it was night because it smelled like moonlight.

The hum of the Condor flooded my ears, floated through my brain, and trickled out of my eyes like water.

I wiped them away.

Now is not the time to cry.

I stand, the bed creaking as my weight leaves it. Radarr's here with me, his fur ruffling against my skin. I don't know how badly he's cut up, but Finn said there was a good amount of broken glass. My buddy's got a plaster cast on his arm and an absurd amount of bandages all over his body.

We buried her...

We buried her...

Those words are so hard to say...

We buried her on a small terra, close to Atmosia, where she'd be left in peace. I'll never forget the feel of that dirt between my fingers, how the mud felt underneath my fingernails, and the smell of remorse.

I stick my head out the open window and wish I could see the sunset.

OOO

Finn won't leave his room.

Says he's...not hungry.

Junko is a shell of what he was.

Stork has broken down entirely. If we thought he was bad before, well...we didn't know the half of it.

And all I can do is pick my way around the ship, trying to figure out which room has the higher pitched buzz: the hanger bay, or the kitchen...

My nose catches a familiar smell.

Crystal dust.

I'm outside Piper's quarters.

I press the button that operates the doors. The click hisses through the air. I walk in, foot catching on the threshold. It smells like her: ink, pen, paper, and beauty.

I never knew beauty had a smell before.

I find her bed and I lie down. It's thick with her scent. I pull her pillow up to my face, inhaling it with vigor, until the tears start streaming, and I sob like an infant into the fabric, leaning into the mattress.

That's how the others find me the next morning.

OOO

It's night again, but I only know that because I felt out the fingers on my clock.

The moon is new tonight.

I can feel the dark stain of nothingness that blotches out a patch of sky.

Radarr's sitting on my shoulder once more, and the weight is comforting.

I stand on the balcony and imagine she's popping out, asking how I am, discussing our latest plan...

I ask Radarr a question.

"What do the stars look like, bud?"

He chirps very lightly.

_They're crying, pal. Breaking. Stumbling._

I'm oh so lost.

Me and the stars.

The stars are missing their moon...

And I'm missing my heart.


	5. Chapter 5

**Bright Side of the Dark Side**

_...but now, I'm found..._

Finn is firing up the grill.

Says we shouldn't just overlook our squad's anniversary just becuase of a little...accident.

Glad to see SOMEONE'S moving on.

He's a little emptier. But he'll fill up again. I don't know how the guy does it. He's like a rubber ball. He just always bounces back. Granted, the bounce may not be as hight as it was before, but it's a bounce, nonetheless. He'll always miss Piper, and a part of him will never REALLY recover. But he'll smile, all the same. He'll make jokes. He'll organize parties like this one.

I don't see what we have to celebrate.

We're not even a whole team anymore.

I've locked myself in my room with no one but Radarr for company. At least he's a good listener. All he can do in response to my rantings is mime or chirp. And I can't even see his charades.

By now, the Condor's singing has become a steady rhythm of poetry, buzzing through my head like words to a song you can't remember the melody to.

I feel like a person lying in bed on a cold night, with a blanket that's too small. You try to stretch it, turn it, pull it up, pull it down, but it won't warm all of you.

I can either heal my heart, or heal my soul. But for some reason, I can't figure out how to heal both.

I can heal my heart by going out there and trying to forget.

I can heal my soul by sitting in here and trying to remember.

Someone knocks.

I answer the door.

"Hey. Man, you coming or not?"

"No, I think I'll stay here."

"Man, until we get to Atmosia, you're still a Sky Knight, and we're still a squadron." I can tell he's eyeballing he with those piercing blue eyes of his.

"Finn--"

"Eh, eh, eh. It's what Piper would have wanted."

"You don't know what Piper would've wanted, Finn."

"She would have wanted you to move on." He grabs me by the arm. "Now, do I need to drag you to the hanger bay, or will you come willingly?"

"I...Finn..." I stop talking and walk out the door, Radarr jumping on my shoulder. It's futile for me to argue. When Finn gets a whiff of the word "party", he's like a rabid dog looking for something to bite.

I recognize the smell of crystal fuel and rusty metal as we walk into the hanger bay, Finn still gripping my arm.

"Look who finally showed," he barks.

"Hello, Aerrow." That rich, lightly accented voice.

"Starling! Nice seeing you again. Well, I'm not REALLY seeing you, but...You get my point." I hold out a hand; Finn redirects it. I feel her warm, rough fingers wrap around mine.

"I can tell you don't want to be here," she quips.

Nice to know someone appreciates my feelings about this...get together.

OOO

The party drags on, music blaring from the speakers, light conversation drilling through the atmosphere. I try to stay away from everyone.

It's a small thing, but Finn tried his best to keep everyone alive.

Junko eventually challenged Stork to a pie eating contest, and for a reason I doubt any of us will ever know, Stork accepted.

I had to rely on my ears to tell me the outcome.

Not pretty.

This was one of the rare moments I was glad I couldn't see.

While Junko, Radarr, and Finn cleaned up, and Stork was taken to the sick bay, Starling joined me on the balcony. The breeze was soft, and I could tell it was almost summer again. She placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I know you miss her." She said it so knowingly, so wisely, that for a moment, I wondered if she'd read my mind.

"I just can't get over the fact that if I had been able to see, things might have turned out differently."

"We can't change the past, Aerrow. We can only look to the future. And besides," she says, rather dryly. "I don't think Piper would have wanted to see you like this."

"Hm." I smile. "You know, that's exactly what Finn said. Did he drag you here?"

"Actually, I came on my own accord. You know me; I'd never miss a good party."

I feel her smile. Maybe she winked; I'll never know. But I have a hunch...

Her footsteps fade.

"Hey, Aerrow. Want a mop?"

It's Finn. I turn around to face his voice, and hold my hand out. Rough wood meets my palm. I make my way inside, letting him guide me to the puddle of regurgitated pie, and start to clean.

It's been a long night.

OOO

Later, after Starling's left, and the hanger bay floor is clean, I go back to my room and lie down.

The sheets wrap around me, like clouds.

I think of Starling's words.

_We can't change the past, Aerrow. We can only look to the future..._

She should know. She still dwells on her old squadron, but...I think she's done a pretty good job of turning forward. And if she can do it...maybe I can do it too.

I turn in the darkness. I stare into the eternal night that will I will reside in, for the rest of my life.

The thought still chills me...but not as much.

I find my blanket, and I throw it over myself.

And wouldn't you know, it covers everything.

Heart and soul, warmed in the cold.


	6. Chapter 6

**Closing Books  
**

_...Was blind..._

The Condor lands ever so lightly. I barely feel it.

It's about noon, and we plan on having lunch in the city.

After we meet with the Council, of course.

I'm loath to admit it, but I'm a bit nervous about this encounter. Worried at where they'll place me. I'll be discharged from active duty for sure, but where to next? Will I be forced to vacate my position entirely?

I don't know what I'd do it that was the case.

Being a Sky Knight...is all I know. I've dreamed of it since I was a toddler in diapers. I trained harder than anyone else, I pushed myself to a breaking point, and I finally hit that goal: I became the youngest Sky Knight ever to write his name in the registry.

And now, it's about to be taken away.

Of course, it was inevitable. It would have happened after a few years, once I got too old to fight or fly. Better now, while I'm still young and might be able to scrape up a job.

Then again, who'd hire a blind ex-Sky Knight?

He or she would have to be REALLY nice, or just plain crazy.

I open the door and walk into the hallway. Stork has turned on the AC; I can smell the musty air as it drifts through the ship. Outside, it's like a furnace.

I join the others at the ramp, and we all make our way down the street, Finn keeping an arm on my shoulder, telling me where to turn. I try to act natural, but I can't help stumbling over the curb a few times.

We stop. Finn leans over.

"Three stairs."

I nod and make my way up the steps without any assistance.

I must say, I'm getting pretty good at being a handicap.

Junko moves past me; I can smell the Yorka juice he had that morning. He knocks on the doors. I hear them swing open.

"Let's go, bud." Finn's voice is shaking.

"It'll be fine," I say. But even I don't believe it.

Stone turns to wood, then carpet, as we move into the building and towards the registrar's desk. I hear multiple voices; the entire Council's there.

Shit.

"Aerrow. We've heard of your...situation."

The man's raspy voice fills my ears. Makes me shudder. Like nails on a chalkboard.

"Yes, sir. I understand if you discharge me-"

"We'll do no such thing."

"I expecte--Wait. What?"

Everyone else is silent; I wish I could see the looks on their faces.

"Obviously you won't be able to participate in active duty," the registrar continues. "But I'm sure we can find a position for you at the...Academy?"

I gulp. Teaching? Teaching's not really my thing...I never was good with kids. I'm barely an adult myself; some of the guys at the Academy are twenty-somethings. How do you order around a person who's older than you?

Then again, I have done that with Stork. But he's a Merb. They age differently.

"Sir, I don't know...How would the students react to my condition?"

"We've talked it over with the headmaster. He's given the thumbs up. The final decision will, of course, be yours. You can choose to retire, in which case we will issue you a discharge. Or, you can take up on our offer."

I can tell he's staring over the rims of his glasses at me.

I shift my weight from one leg to another. "If it's okay with you, sir, I'd rather talk to my friends about this matter before making a decision."

"Understood. You may leave, Sky Knight."

I grimace at the title.

It doesn't seem to fit anymore.

I nod in his direction and turn towards the door. We make our way outside, into the heat, leaving the dark, air conditioned rooms behind.

OOO

"I don't know..."

"Aerrow, it's a great offer, better than you hoped for. You'll keep your status and everything!"

"Or, I could go home and live a normal life."

"And where is home, Aerrow? What is normal? You've never been normal, why should that change now?"

"You guys don't understand."

"Try us," Stork mutters. He's still a little queasy from last night.

"Fine. I love this. I love the Condor, I love fighting, I love to fly, and most of all, I love you guys. We're family. You're like brothers to me, and Piper..."

I choke out the next few words.

"I loved her, too. She was...she was..." I take a deep breath and continue. "Going to the academy...I'll never love it the same way I loved this. I won't be able to give it my one hundred percent." I close my eyes, letting the tears flow. "I'd rather give it all up than do something I don't appreciate."

"Aerrow..."

"What?"

"Dude, I just wanted to say, on behalf of us all...You're the greatest squad leader we could have asked for. You were more than just a commander, you were a friend. You were always there for us, and now, it's our turn to be here for you."

I feel him smile.

OOO

"You're positive?"

"Yes, sir. I am."

"Then let it be done, I suppose." The registrar sounds resigned, tired, and...old. For a brief moment, I almost pity him.

"Aerrow, I hereby relieve you of your title of Sky Knight. Your name will be erased from the registry, and your position has been removed. You are no longer leader of the Storm Hawks. Back pay will be awarded-"

"I don't want any money. I just want to go home."

"All right, then."

I hear the pen scratching on the paper. I hear the book, slamming shut on my "illustrious career".

And somewhere, in the distance, another book opens.

That book is blank.

Time for me to write the story of the rest of my life.


	7. Chapter 7

**I Faced the Dawn**

_...but now, I see._

I'm not a religious kind of guy.

I never will be.

I still don't pray, and I still don't read religious texts.

This experience hasn't jarred me from my past beliefs at all.

But...

Now, when I look at the sky, it's no longer a place, or a kingdom.

It's...home.

And it's heaven.

OOO

It was late.

Or was it early?

Either way, I couldn't sleep.

But this time, it wasn't nightmares keeping me awake. And it wasn't the darkness.

It was something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

A warmth inside me.

A sense of...happiness? No.

More like...forgiveness.

I reconciled with myself. I said goodbye to who I was. I said hello to who I will be.

Things will never be the same. How can they? Over the course of the past few weeks, I've lost my eyesight, my best friend, and my job.

If it hadn't been for my team, I'd be dead right now, or worse, I'd be lost in a self created hell.

But they were there.

They believed in me.

And they made me believe in myself.

OOO

"Listen, how the world comes back after night."

Radarr chirps.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I should go back to sleep."

We're standing on the balcony, waiting for the sunrise. I'm staring into darkness, imagining the millions of colors that would normally be peppering the sky by now.

My mind turns to the ton of things I need to do...before I leave.

I'm going to find a house. Settle down. Get a job. And if all else fails...there's always the Academy.

Who knows?

Maybe someday, after this war is over, me and the team can find each other again.

Providing we're all still alive.

Providing the war ends at all.

Starling was asked to take over the squadron, and she politely declined.

So Finn's dream of being "King of the Condor" has been fulfilled at last.

Although I think he's moved past king...More like dictator. The others will manage. And hopefully, if we all keep our fingers crossed, he'll mature.

It's a futile wish, but if you don't have hope, than what DO you have?

I think of Piper. She'd have laughed, if she knew Finn was technically a Sky Knight.

I guess this has done more to us than we ever expected.

It's changed me, that's for sure. And not just physically. I think I'm a little stronger. A little more hopeful.

Before the accident...

I knew only one world, one life. One sky.

I once was blind, but now...I see.

I see my future ahead of me.

Somewhere, there's a sound, and it hits my ears. I can't describe it. It's...like a whisper of light. The sound of the sun, waking up and stretching his rays into the sky.

I smile, and I face the dawn.

OOO

A/N: Technically, this was one long song-fic. And if none of you have watched the movie "Amazing Grace", log on to Netflix and get it, NOW, because it is, in my opinion, officially THE GREATEST MOVIE EVA.

Thanks to Ambrel, you were with this fic from its humble beginnings to its even humbler finish.

Have a nice weekend, people.


End file.
